Thomas L. Hickner

Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative

The Saginaw Bay is the unique feature defining Michigan’s mitten and is easily seen and recognized on satellite photos of the earth. Come see what it looks like up close along the coastal blueways trail. White sandy beach shorelines small cottages and big houses are interspersed by large natural coastal marsh areas and provide the full variety of a coastal paddling experience. Experienced sea paddlers can find and ride big water or novice paddlers can cruise through gentle cove shorelines. excursions into the heart of Michigan’s historic lumbering era via our river routes that carried the logs for building much of the young country, are available for exploration with an online virtual historic tour to narrate the sights of the past and present. The Saginaw Bay is at the intersection of the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways. Seasonal migrations of the most interesting birds fly here and spend the summers, great blue herons, black-crowned night herons, great egrets, sandhill cranes, elegant terns and the occasional wayward pelican can be seen throughout the coastal area. Our shorebirds include spotted sandpiper, greater and lessor yellow legs, short billed dowager and many more unique waterfowl.

The Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative (SBCI) is a group of interested people, businesses, and local governments in the bay front communities of: Arenac, Bay, Huron, Iosco, Midland, Saginaw, and Tuscola collaborating with state and federal agencies for actions to improve the Saginaw Bay. For more information on Environmental Issues, please check out the webpage for the Environmental Affairs and Community Development Department.

Lake Huron Lakewide Action and Management Plan - Annual Report 2015 (Final) With its land and waterscapes evolving through the interacting forces of water, geology and climate, Lake Huron and its watershed have been shaped into an area of global ecological significance. Lake Huron is renowned for its beaches, dunes, rugged shorelines, coastal wetlands, diverse river systems, forests and more than 30,000 islands. Conserving this precious resource is important tomaintaining its enormous social, recreational and economic benefits.

CISMA Newsletters

Clearzoning is assisting Bay County and the Parks & Recreation Division of the DNR in jointly evaluating the lakefront and beach access at Bay City State Recreation Area to improve the park’s local and regional appeal. The study will explore avenues by which the park can support the economic vitality of the Bay region, while protecting and preserving the natural and cultural features of the park.

Bay County and the DNR recognize that the water quality of the lakeshore and muck on the shoreline may be a concern of park users. Many agencies have worked together over the years to improve the water quality in the Saginaw Bay. Efforts to remove shoreline muck are also ongoing. These are complex issues that have complicated and long-term management challenges on a local, state-wide, and federal level.

Saginaw Bay Blueways Trail

The Saginaw Bay is the unique feature defining Michigan's mitten and is easily seen and recognized on satellite photos of the Earth.Come see what it looks like up close along the coastal Blueways trail. White sandy beach shorelines small cottages and big houses are interspersed by large natural coastal marsh areas and provide the full variety of a coastal paddling experience.

Bay City State Park Recreation Area Historical Flyer and Map

Located in Bay County, the Bay City State Park Recreation Area. This historical flyer includes a map of the area and amenities. For more information about the Bay City State Recreation Area please check out the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Website.

Programs of Interest

Yellow Jug Old Drugs Program:Yellow Jug Old Drugs is a program operated by Great Lakes Clean Water Organization to collect and properly dispose of unwanted/unused drugs in a safe and approved manner to help keep our water clean. Individuals bring in unused/unwanted/expired drugs to their local pharmacy for proper disposal. The Yellow Jug Old Drugs containers and contents are picked up at pharmacies and are then transported to a Waste-to-Energy facility for secure and assured destruction. Click HERE to find a participating pharmacy in your area.

Dispose My Meds Program:Dispose My Meds is an online resource to help you to find medication disposal programs at the local independent community pharmacy near you. More than 100 different pharmaceuticals have been detected in lakes, rivers, reservoirs and streams throughout the world. Pharmaceuticals are being detected in the environment and there is genuine concern that these compounds, in the small concentrations that they're at, could be causing impacts to human health or to aquatic organisms.

Exploring the Cass River and it's Watershed:The Cass River Watershed encompasses an area of 908 square miles (approx. 578,812 acres), contains 1352 total river miles and hundreds of miles of county drains. The Cass River flows to the Saginaw River and eventually to Saginaw Bay. Located in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula Thumb Region the watershed includes portions of Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Saginaw, Sanilac, and Tuscola counties. Communities in the watershed include Bridgeport, Cass City, Caro, Frankenmuth, Marlette, Millington, Tuscola, Vassar, and Ubly.

SBCI Meetings

The Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative (SBCI) holds monthly its monthly meetings on the 3rd Thursday of each month, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Bay County Building, 515 Center Avenue, 2nd Floor Old Commission Chambers, Bay City, Michigan.

Monday, March 17, 2014 - Great Lakes Shallow Draft Recreational Harbor Stakeholder Meeting:Bay County Commissioners have worked to set up a local webinar viewing site at the Bay County Building in Bay City for this important meeting put on by the Army Corps of Engineers regarding recreational harbor dredging and the Small harbors Coalition. This viewing site will allow for live participation in the meeting including the opportunity for you to offer input. The meeting will present info as well as take stakeholder input on local concerns . . . meaning this is a very good opportunity to share how low water impacts our communities, businesses and recreational opportunities. Also they might be interested in hearing your views on the need for the compensation works for the St. Clair River. The webinar will be held on Monday, March 17, 2014 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Bay County Commission Chambers located on the 4th Floor of the Bay County Building, 515 Center Avenue, Bay City, Michigan 48708. You do not need to sign up for this meeting.